Exclusive Game Content – Does Everyone Lose?

This will be a debateable article for many of you, and some will simply say it is a cry piece about not having the right console, or a PC for that matter. However, to the open minded, this is a true reflection on how we have all been affected, penalised, punished or, dare I say it, betrayed by the games we love and hold dear to our hearts for simply not having the right gaming platform.

MS is rumored to have pay 50 million for GTA IV DLC. With that kind of money they could have developed a new IP or two. Exclusive DLC on a MULTIPLATFORM game should NOT be allowed; otherwise why not make the whole game exclusive in the first place?

also wth is with the exclusive content for ordering at x retailer. Normally idc if its stuff thats jus added bling or unlockable later on. But tons of games now u can only get lvl x from this shop or that one...

your right M$ has no right to make dlc either timed exclusive with fallout 3 or just exclusive period with gta 4 there is a huge fanbase including myself who the ps3 version of gta 4 for ps3 and we want the dlc but we can't get it because M$ like to screw us gamers in the A$$ thanks M$ for ruining my gaming experince as well as other gamers

Microsoft is free to do what they want. It's their money! The same as if you payed a large some of money to get a popular article plus a little more services availiable to you and you only... Keep in mind you paid for it. So, with you guys logic it's unfair? Wow, lets look at some facts before we start calling MS snakes, and ignorant

First, last time I checked couldn't Sony pay to have their own DLC? I don't want to hear that BS Sony is God its a logical company that will not compromise it's fans. It's a respectable company, they wouldn't dare do that... yeah that logic is as cheesy as a afternoon soap opera

Second, I thought Sony fans didn't care about the DLC. MS paid 50 million for a flop. Now that it's grown in popularity now it's unfair? I mean Jesus Joe Ebony Christ

Third, It's not like you Sony loyals can't play it, what's the saying? If you want to play the exclusive buy a ps3... Yeah, why don't you Sony loyalist take your own advice if you want to play the download content buy a 360, or just take the loss. No excuses of "it will RROD on me in 2 hours," "why buy an inferior console....."

Fourth, why would a company not accept 50 million? They are in business to stay in business. what they gonna say " No, I will not accept 50 million because I'm going to upset a small percent of fans, or "look here, Microsoft. give us Half that money and after 6 months we can make it possible to port it over to PS3"... Righhhhhhhht!

and Finally, the only ones complaining are those who only own one system. Man Up! If you truly want to enjoy gaming stop complaining it's already proven that this is no longer a one console race. This ol 3rd grade mentality, name game is ridiculous. If anything why aren't you guys blaming Sony for not securing its own DLC for Grand Theft?

The point is exclusive content for a multiplatform title is bull. For instance, the new Batman game that has exclusive joker content for the PS3. Both 360 and PS3 owners pay the same price for it. The joker content should at the very least be available for free on XBL, although MS probably will charge for it. Why should people who support a game just as much as others on another platform suffer. I personally don't care for most DLC but it doesn't mean I can't see there is something wrong with shunning a portion of a companies fanbase for the money. And no, the PS3 should just, for the most part keep putting most of their money into 1st/2nd party exclusives. Not DLC and advertising.

They have all the right to make content exclusive, it's their money afterall, it's stupid for them to spend 50 million on two pieces of DLC instead of making games.

What really annoyed me is the fact Microsoft closed down a studio the one for making Halo Wars which is a good game. That what really gets to me, how Microsoft can fire hundreds of people just after releasing their game while spending 50 million on DLC.

It should piss you off when the unemployment rate is at an all time high rate period point blank. It's MS's choice to do what they want with their money. This same distasteful feeling you have for MS should go across the board for companies like Tyco, Worldcom etc. Businesses have been closing parts of their company and pouring money into others for years. Which goes to show you it's all about the money. Sony has laid off people restructured this is life. I really think if Sony would have reached deep in their pockets and secured the DLC their wouldn't be so much complaining

to put a lot of time and money into first party studios. Sony has built their studios up over 3 generations of consoles. It was only mid-late in the PS2 life that Sony's console was not leaning on 3rd party games. Only now are they really cranking out 1st and 2nd party franchises that rival Nintendo.

Investing in new IPS and 1st party studios is risky and can really hurt you if they don't pan out. It seems like Microsoft is taking the safe approach and mostly going to what sells instead of trying the unknown. A lot of people bash them for being unoriginal, but they are still growing as a game company and are only on their 2nd console.

That's wrong too. I'd be pissed if a game I really liked and thought great wasn't getting DLC on my platform of choice and I shelled out the same $60 as another gamer playing the same game on another platform. It's wrong. I know some will subscribe to the rewarding of selfishness and greed that business ideology is built upon especially when it benefits them but sooner or later it won't. I'm sure 360 fans would not like it if the PS3 was the one to get GTA4 and Fallout3 DLC. All companies are guilty in this regard but the major blame lies with the Devs who take the offer and turn their backs on a certain segment of their fans.

The only ones losing is Microsoft. There paying for all this exclusive DLC assuming every 1 person that brought the game will buy the DLC. Then the devs look bad cuz they made the content and not getting their return with satisfaction. Then they want to pass it off to the other console, making it a bad port, and by that time nobody wants its. Sorry L&D, and Gay Tony, there's more games on the horizon with a little more ump to it.

First link unreliable and qoute: we don't know exactly how many copies of Lost & Damned Microsoft and Rockstar managed to sell. We do know, however, it's more than 323,000. How can they say they don't know, but its more than!

Second link states and qoute: Microsoft "declares" that GTA IV eclipsed first day revenue for all DLC on XBL, and goes on to say L&D detail are short very short! The word declares means to make known or to proclaim. Again it's an assumption.

Third link and qoute: Rockstar Games and Microsoft haven't disclosed exact sales of the Grand Theft Auto IV expansion The Lost and Damned, only boasting that it has broken Xbox Live Arcade records. Havent diclosed exact sales figures, think about that for a moment!

These are all assumptions made by Microsoft. It would be embrassing to announce real sales because of there investment.

This is not the fault of Rockstar, they were offered a bucket of money and it would be stupid of them not to accept.

It was like Microsoft was saying

'Were bigger than you, and were gonna show it by throwing out a cool 50 milllion on something that probably wont make that much difference, but it doesnt matter cause we have a bottomless pit of money.'

Well there is a chance that both MS and SONY will be a little more cautious before forking out so much money for dlc after what happened with gta. Gay Tony and meth dealing bikers are nice to have exclusive on your system but R* North turned around and is now making a full blown exclusive IP for the playstation 3, most definitely partially funded by the 50 million that MS payed. Now since MS blew their load on gta4 dlc they aren't getting AGENT at all, while all future GTA4 episodes will be multiplatform (the deal was only for the first two). So you can see how being over ambitious with your bribing budget can turn around and bite you.

...if the other system ends up getting completely locked out of being able to get any DLC for the game at all. That what we were all scared of from the GTA4 deal. There were rumors (which Rockstar killed later in the April 08 issue of USPSM) that the MS deal also tied their hands to make PS3 DLC. To my knowledge, no other exclusive DLC deal ever had THAT controversy on it, and it shouldn't.

If this is going to continue, then don't do this lock out. Allow the other side to have SOMETHING for it. Either that or give the other system something exclusive for the multiplat game.